Workplace Advocacy
Introduction
In a profession where others' health and well-being are priority, there leaves room for neglect of those who are delegated to care for these people. As a professional nurse, there are many obstacles that arise and affect the care provided to a patient, as well as the livelihood of the nurse. The current deteriorating and unsafe staffing conditions in hospitals and other institutions prompts workplace advocacy as the universally appropriate concept for maintaining professional nursing practice. The Arkansas Nurses Association and the Louisiana State Nurses Association define workplace advocacy as a planned, organized system of services and resources designed to support the professional nurse in the workplace (White Paper on Workplace Advocacy, 1997). It provides nurses with the knowledge and skills to use a range of strategies to ensure their voice and involvement in nursing practice and workplace decisions. "The ethical norms of the profession, Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice, and nurse practice acts validate the nurse's professional obligation to provide quality care and protect clients and families" as stated by the Arkansas Nurses Association and the Louisiana State Nurses Association in the White Paper on Workplace Advocacy (1997). Workplace Advocacy educates and empowers nurses to help make changes in the workplace that will enhance the quality of their work environment (White Paper on Workplace Advocacy, 1997). It is intended to facilitate strategies for employers, nurses, and healthcare providers to work collectively toward safe, quality, cost-effective client care. According to the Center for American Nurses (2006), in order to confront these issues, nurses must have a clear vision of their responsibilities in the workplace and the personal, professional, and legal information to ensure the well-being of themselves and their patients. Workplace issues are of great concern to the professional nurse due to the direct impact on the
In a profession where others' health and well-being are priority, there leaves room for neglect of those who are delegated to care for these people. As a professional nurse, there are many obstacles that arise and affect the care provided to a patient, as well as the livelihood of the nurse. The current deteriorating and unsafe staffing conditions in hospitals and other institutions prompts workplace advocacy as the universally appropriate concept for maintaining professional nursing practice. The Arkansas Nurses Association and the Louisiana State Nurses Association define workplace advocacy as a planned, organized system of services and resources designed to support the professional nurse in the workplace (White Paper on Workplace Advocacy, 1997). It provides nurses with the knowledge and skills to use a range of strategies to ensure their voice and involvement in nursing practice and workplace decisions. "The ethical norms of the profession, Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice, and nurse practice acts validate the nurse's professional obligation to provide quality care and protect clients and families" as stated by the Arkansas Nurses Association and the Louisiana State Nurses Association in the White Paper on Workplace Advocacy (1997). Workplace Advocacy educates and empowers nurses to help make changes in the workplace that will enhance the quality of their work environment (White Paper on Workplace Advocacy, 1997). It is intended to facilitate strategies for employers, nurses, and healthcare providers to work collectively toward safe, quality, cost-effective client care. According to the Center for American Nurses (2006), in order to confront these issues, nurses must have a clear vision of their responsibilities in the workplace and the personal, professional, and legal information to ensure the well-being of themselves and their patients. Workplace issues are of great concern to the professional nurse due to the direct impact on the
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